Alert archive / Florida / Tornado Warnings in 1994

Tornado Warning 8, NWS Tallahassee, FL

May 3, 1994Okaloosa County, Florida

NWS Tallahassee, FL issued this tornado warning at May 3, 1994, 4:16 PM CDT for Okaloosa County, Florida. It was in force for 29 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 3, 1994, 4:16 PM CDT (21:16 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 1994, 4:45 PM CDT
In force
29 min
Issued by
NWS Tallahassee, FL
Area
Whole counties

County Okaloosa County, FL

The nearest sounding before it

Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL (KVPS), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 22 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1994-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 50 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Eglin AFB/Valpar, FL at 12:00Z on 1994-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 185 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
50 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-179 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
888 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
57 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
185 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
251 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.6

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KPNS 032117
TORPNS
FLC091-032145-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
TORNADO WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PENSACOLA FL
416 PM CDT TUE MAY 3 1994
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PENSACOLA HAS ISSUED A
TORNADO WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 PM CDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN NORTHWEST FLORIDA
 
   ...OKALOOSA COUNTY
 
 
 
 
OKALOOSA EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED A TORNADO ON THE GROUND NEAR
NICEVILLE MOVING TO THE EAST AT 25 MILES AN HOUR.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this tornado warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 3, 12:06 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
FLZ011-013-031810-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
106 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 1994

AT NOON CDT (1 PM EDT) STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER HOLMES
AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THESE STORMS WILL BE
MOVING INTO THE COUNTIES OF JACKSON AND CALHOUN DURING THE NEXT HOUR.
HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

ELSEWHERE OTHER WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE OVER SOUTH GEORGIA...THE BIG BEND OF FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT
COASTAL WATERS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 12:06 PM CDT, 4 hours 10 minutes before
FLZ011-013-031810-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
106 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 1994

AT NOON CDT (1 PM EDT) STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER HOLMES
AND WASHINGTON COUNTIES IN THE FLORIDA PANHANDLE. THESE STORMS WILL BE
MOVING INTO THE COUNTIES OF JACKSON AND CALHOUN DURING THE NEXT HOUR.
HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS AND SMALL HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE
STORMS.

ELSEWHERE OTHER WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE OVER SOUTH GEORGIA...THE BIG BEND OF FLORIDA AND THE ADJACENT
COASTAL WATERS.
Special weather statement, May 3, 12:15 PM CDT, 4 hours 1 minute before
FLZ014-031830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
115 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 1994

AT 115 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN APALACHICOLA
FLORIDA INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BEGINING TO MOVE INTO
NORTH GULF COUNTY WEST OF WEWAHITCHKA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY TODAY OF PRODUCING
SEVERE WEATHER TO THE WEST.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL BROADCAST STATIONS OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

NNNN
Special weather statement, May 3, 12:22 PM CDT, 3 hours 54 minutes before
FLZ014-031830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE APALACHICOLA FL
115 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 1994

AT 115 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR IN APALACHICOLA
FLORIDA INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS BEGINING TO MOVE INTO
NORTH GULF COUNTY WEST OF WEWAHITCHKA.

MOVEMENT WAS TO THE EAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

PERSONS IN THE VICINITY OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT STRONG GUSTY
WINDS...DEADLY LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE HAIL.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS HAVE HAD A HISTORY TODAY OF PRODUCING
SEVERE WEATHER TO THE WEST.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL BROADCAST STATIONS OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

NNNN
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:50 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
FLZ017-018-019-028-032145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
450 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 1994

...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR LEON COUNTY CANCELLED...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTHERN GEORGIA...THE BIG BEND OF
FLORIDA AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 9 PM EDT...

AT 445 PM EDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN JEFFERSON
COUNTY. IT WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY
DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR NEAR THE TOWNS OF WACISSA AND LAMONT. THIS
STORM HAS PRODUCED NICKEL SIZE HAIL AT WOODVILLE AROUND 420 PM AS WELL
AS KNOCKING DOWN SEVERAL TREES IN AND AROUND THE TALLAHASSEE AREA. SINCE
MOVING OUT OF LEON COUNTY THIS STORM HAS WEAKENED...BUT STILL HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS...SMALL HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING
AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

&
Special weather statement, May 3, 3:50 PM CDT, 26 minutes before
FLZ017-018-019-028-032145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
450 PM EDT TUE MAY 3 1994

...URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD ADVISORY FOR LEON COUNTY CANCELLED...
...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTHERN GEORGIA...THE BIG BEND OF
FLORIDA AND ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS UNTIL 9 PM EDT...

AT 445 PM EDT A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN JEFFERSON
COUNTY. IT WILL MOVE ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN JEFFERSON COUNTY
DURING THE NEXT HALF HOUR NEAR THE TOWNS OF WACISSA AND LAMONT. THIS
STORM HAS PRODUCED NICKEL SIZE HAIL AT WOODVILLE AROUND 420 PM AS WELL
AS KNOCKING DOWN SEVERAL TREES IN AND AROUND THE TALLAHASSEE AREA. SINCE
MOVING OUT OF LEON COUNTY THIS STORM HAS WEAKENED...BUT STILL HAS THE
POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE STRONG WIND GUSTS...SMALL HAIL...DEADLY LIGHTNING
AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL.

&

The office that day

Everything else NWS Tallahassee, FL issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 12:02 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEHolmes43 min
May 3, 12:48 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEJackson57 min
May 3, 1:39 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAELiberty51 min
May 3, 1:57 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEGadsden48 min
May 3, 2:20 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAEOkaloosa40 min
May 3, 2:38 PM CDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningTAELeon52 min

Nearby

Tornado Warnings in Florida, 1994Every tornado warning in 1994Tornadoes in 1994

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.